Rosie O'Donnell tells Elisabeth Hasselbeck 'I don't hold back' after calling 'The View' spat a setup
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Rosie O'Donnell says her infamous 2007 on-air spat with Elisabeth Hasselbeck on ABC's 'The View', which led her to leave the show, was a setup by the producers.
After Hasselbeck reacted emotionally to O'Donnell's comments, the comedian dismissed the response, saying that she rarely thinks about her former co-host unless asked in an interview.
Rosie O'Donnell's claim regarding the infamous on-air spat
Nearly two decades after their heated debate about Rosie O'Donnell's support for the troops during the Iraq War shook 'The View', the comedian commented on it during an interview on the Australian radio show 'Ricki-Lee, Tim Joel'.
Talking about the show's producer and co-creator, Bill Geddie, O'Donnell said, "Our producer [was] not an on-the-fly kind of guy."
"He wasn't like, Mr. Lets-Go-To-a-Split-Screen.' That was prepared. The whole thing, I think, was a setup," she added.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Rosie O'Donnell clash once more
Elisabeth Hasselbeck disagreed and tearfully fired back at Rosie O'Donnell's claims with several posts on her Instagram Stories. Well, the comedian has now weighed in on Hasselbeck's response.
And there's no love lost there. "Apparently, it upset Elisabeth because she was on Fox News — what a surprise — with her reply," O'Donnell said in an Instagram video posted on October 10. She then proceeded to read through what Hasselbeck said about her, reacting throughout.
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In one moment, Hasselbeck asked O'Donnell to "stop lying," but said she "still" forgives O'Donnell even if she doesn't. "You forgive me? What a relief," O'Donnell said sarcastically.
In Hasselbeck's response, she said to O'Donnell, "I just pray God’s fire and glory around you so that you can be protected from whatever is holding you back. Nothing's holding me back, Elisabeth," O'Donnell quipped.
"Knock, knock. Who's there? Rosie O'Donnell!' I don't hold back, sweetheart," the comedian said, insisting that she is "full of freedom and joy" despite Hassebeck's concerns.
"Honey, this wasn't about you or your character. It was about the truth of what happened, from my perspective. That's it," O'Donnell remarked. "Hate to tell you, I don't really think about you that much until an interviewer asks me."
"It's not like I'm walking around going, 'God, do you think Elisabeth will ever forgive me?' I'm not. So don't worry about me or my freedom or joy, and just enjoy our life, and I'm gonna do the same," she added.
Recalling Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck's feud
The clash between the two on a May 2007 episode was the ABC talk show’s most infamous moment.
The duo, who had formed an unlikely bond after joining the show in 2006, got into a heated argument as Hasselbeck refused to defend O'Donnell against backlash over her criticism of then-President George W Bush. O'Donnell slammed Hasselbeck for the silence, asserting her support for the troops. Two days after the episode aired, the comedian asked ABC to be released from her contract.
During her interview with 'Ricki-Lee, Tim Joel' last week, O'Donnell echoed those same sentiments, recalling going out of her way to be supportive of Hasselbeck and attempting reconciliation with her. She compared the experience to being on a team where one teammate kept tripping her.
